The Visual Language of Art Therapy…
I have the pleasure and privilege of bringing creative expression to Sanford House as the Art Therapist on staff. Sanford House contacted me after I had relocated to Grand Rapids following my master’s training in Milwaukee. At the time, I had been gracefully masterfully desperately attempting to connect with any and every counseling center […]
Now That We’re in Recovery, Who Else Wants a Puppy?
Updated March 2024 I was minding my own business the other day, and an idea popped up: GET A RECOVERY PUPPY. It occurred with the same kind of punch-in-the-gut suddenness my wine cravings used to materialize, so I should be wary. I know we are not supposed to start a serious relationship, get married, […]
Girl Restarted – Being an Alcoholic Sort of Ruined My 21st Birthday Plans…
From the moment I took my first drink, I had glorious plans for my twenty-first birthday. Flashing horizontal ID’s in suspicious bouncer’s faces, drinking everyone under the table, ordering fancy drinks just because it was legal, and having to be dragged back to my room by friends because I was too sloshed to even […]
Girl Restarted – The Emotional Thaw
Sanford House alumna S.E.B. was in treatment before she was legally old enough to drink alcohol. She will be guest blogging for Sanford House and taking us along on her recovery journey. She’s learning to “feel”, turning 21 and navigating family and friends in the sober life. So, Wish her luck – she’s Girl Restarted… In […]
Hangovers, Sober Mum and Cupcakes – the Best of the Sanford Blog…
In case you didn’t see them, these are the three most popular articles we have posted on the Sanford House Blog in the past three months: Hangovers: Why Doesn’t the Morning After Deter the Night Before? May 3, 2016 by Marilyn Spiller My favorite part about being sober is the morning. Especially […]
What is Recovery? We Asked the Experts – Women in Rehab.
There is no “correct” answer to the question, “What is recovery?”. In fact, the definition of addiction recovery is so subjective, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) uses 10 Guiding Principles of Recovery and a “working definition”. It reminds me of the pirate Barbossa, in The Pirates of the Caribbean. When […]
The Bahamas and Alcoholism – 36 Years Sober in Paradise…
When my dear friend Marilyn invited me to share on the Sanford House blog, I had to struggle for words, even though I am an author and writing has always come easy for me. Marilyn and I have a lot in common, but she was in active addiction when we met on a small island […]
Mummies’ Night Out – Booze Soaked World
I went out with a bunch of girlfriends last night. A big group of us mummies hitting the town for dinner and a comedy show. Pretty unusual for me to be out and about in town – let alone on a Wednesday night! – but yes it definitely happened. Walking through town I […]
5 Ways Cycling Improved My Recovery (and a Killer Muffin Recipe)
If you’d have said to me 18 months ago, I would be using a bike as my main mode of transport; I’d be cycling in excess of 50 miles a week, I’d no longer wear makeup every day, and my priorities would be eating well and getting enough exercise, I’d have asked you where […]
Run, Paul, Run! The Role of Exercise in Recovery.
I never wanted to run. My father ran for many decades. When I was a kid, he would come home, his face all sweaty, in defiance of his headband, and he would chase my brother and me trying to kiss and hug us while wiping his face on our t-shirts. We squealed in delight […]
